This weekend (August 5 and 6) Canmore Nordic Centre will host a round of the Cactus Cup Mountain Bike Race Series. In addition, round #4 of the Canada Cup championship series will be held on the Sunday (August 6th). The Canada Cup Championship Series is the national race series sanctioned by the Canadian Cycling Association, which provides opportunities for Canada's best developing riders to compete throughout the year. Some of the top national team riders are expected to be present at this event including some of the athletes who will be competing at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in September. The Canmore race is the penultimate round of the Canada Cup Cross Country Series.

The Cactus Cup Mountain Bike Race Series offers something for everyone from beginners to pro mountain bike racers. The series was founded in 1991 as a regional event in the desert of Arizona. Within a few years, the spring event was transformed into a major pro mountain bike race, and the unofficial season opener for the World's top pros. The Cactus Cup developed into a series, which first came to Canada in 1994 when a round was held in Whistler. Whistler hosted the Cactus Cup through 1996, when it was won by the Canadian rising star Roland Green, who earned the silver Medal at this year's World Championships in Spain and will compete at the Olympic Games in Australia this year.

This year's Canmore Cactus Cup is the only Canadian stop on the circuit this year. The event features four stages. The Time Trial is an individual start event which takes place on a 5km circuit of wide and narrow trails, and will be held on Saturday morning. The Team Relay will consist of teams of 4 riders on a short, 1 km circuit. Teams will accumulate as many laps as possible over 90 minutes. The same circuit will be used for the Dirt Crit, a mass start, individual race featuring some fast action racing Saturday Evening. All day Sunday is reserved for the main event, the Canada Cup Cross Country. The 9km Canada Cup course features precipitous drops and grueling steep uphills. Some famous sections of trail include "Terminator 2", "No Homers", and "Canmore Crossing". Some riders will compete all events as a stage race, leading to an overall championship for the weekend.

Updates:All race courses are finalized, see our website for course maps! All the courses are dry and in good riding condition. PLEASE STAY ON MARKED AND OPEN LINES WHEN RIDING THE COURSE. We want the Nordic Centre Single track to stay open!The courses will be partially marked on Wednesday, and fully marked for official training on Friday.Format details are available on our website, including distances and times.No Race day registrations will be accepted. Online registration is available through Canadian Cyclist (click on Online Event Registration).We need more volunteers! Contact us for information.For more information, email us at jenmae@telusplanet.net or call toll free 1-877-678-1635.